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DPAS/E |
Committee on Commerce and Economic Development |
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DPA S/E |
Caucus and COW |
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DPA S/e |
Third Read |
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X |
As Passed the House |
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**REVISED**
SB 1032 allows candidates for the next general election to use several different district designations for the purpose of nomination papers, nomination petitions, and petition signatures.
Current law requires candidates for the state legislature to submit nomination papers, nomination petitions, and petition signatures from the district in which they are running. The filing deadline for the next general election (November 7, 2002) is June 12, 2002. Nomination petitions must be signed by individuals who are qualified to vote for the candidate equal to at least 1% but not more than 3% of the total voter registration of a political party in a specified district. However, Congressional and Legislative district lines are redrawn following the decennial U.S. Census in order to proportion districts as equally as possible as required by the Arizona and United States Constitutions.
The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (Commission) was created in 2000 through the approval of Proposition 106, which amended the Arizona Constitution to allow a five member commission of balanced appointments (2 Democrats, 2 Republicans, and 1 Independent) to redraw the Congressional and Legislative districts, a task which had previously fallen to the state legislature. The Commission was charged with redrawing fair, competitive districts using criteria from Proposition 106 and Sections 2 and 5 of the Voting Rights Act, as well as traditional redistricting principles.
The Commission’s Redistricting Plan was submitted to the DOJ on January 24, 2002. According to Section 7 of the Voting Rights Act, the redistricting plan must be precleared by DOJ in order to be valid for the upcoming general election. The Congressional redistricting plan was precleared, but DOJ asked the Commission for more information about the Legislative redistricting plan. Additionally, a lawsuit contesting the redistricting plans, Arizona Minority Coalition for Fair Redistricting et al. v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, has been filed in Superior Court with a trial date of April 30, 2002.
SB 1032 allows a legislative candidate to file a nomination paper, nomination petition, and petition signatures from: a district used in the 2000 elections, a district outlined in the plan adopted by the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, or a legislative district outlined in a redistricting plan precleared by the U.S. Department of Justice.
· Stipulates that if a legislative candidate’s nomination paper, nomination petition, and petition signatures are in compliance with other applicable law, the Secretary of State must accept them as valid if they use any or all of the following as a designation of the legislative district:
· A legislative district number as used in the 2000 elections.
· A legislative district denominated in a redistricting plan adopted by the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission.
· A legislative district denominated in a redistricting plan precleared by the Department of Justice.
· Contains an emergency clause.
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45th
Legislature
Second
Regular Session 2 June 25, 2002
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